What distinguishes this collective is its sense of experimentation, something that is often missing from modern big bands. While the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra is not, strictly speaking, a free jazz collective like the Globe Unity Orchestra is, it is comfortable, nonetheless, incorporating serious avant-garde elements in its milieu. For this album, for example, David Harris' magnificent "Outward," the longest track, is actually based on "superimposing" arranging concepts from Barry Guy's "Theoria," (recorded by the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra). To his considerable credit, Harris was sophisticated enough to recognize the advances made by Guy and to incorporate them in his own composition. Elsewhere, the writing retains a universally high level, with each piece full of surprises and exciting soloists, including some charged contributions by Soo-Jung Kae on piano, and Jim Hobbs on alto sax, though, to be fair, this band is filled with excellent improvisers who maintain a consistently high quality and originality even though, for the most part, few are known outside the Boston area. The JCAO retains a surprisingly attractive sense of joy considering it had been around nearly 20 years, although, of course, with changes in personnel. It is the strength of the solos and the writing, and the leadership skills of Darrell Katz and Ken Schaphorst, that keep it fresh and strong, and this recording catches the band at its peak in almost every respect. Good pacing, diversity of tunes, creative soloing, and a willingness to take chances mark this one as a winner. ~ Steven Loewy